Art Bergmann's funny Juno joke

The Toronto Star
Friday, March 10, 1989
By Craig MacInnis

In case you're wondering, Art Bergmann hasn't bothered to prepare an acceptance speech.

The Vancouver punk veteran, who performs at Lee's Palace Monday and Tuesday, is nominated for a Juno as Most Promising Male Vocalist (and another for his video to "Our Little Secret").

This is rich. In a category whose nominees include fresh-scrubbed mainstream stars like Jeff Healey and Colin James, Bergmann has about as much chance as a punk at prep school.

"It's pretty funny," he laughs drily from his Winnebago, parked somewhere between here and Winnipeg. "I liked (Pursuit Of Happiness singer) Moe Berg's comment on the Junos: 'If I was into awards, I'd be a curler.' "

Then again: "I like the word 'Promising' because it keeps you young . . ."

Indeed, Bergmann has been showing promise for more than a decade as the frontman for various West Coast bands including Los Popularos, Young Canadians and Poisoned.

His debut solo album, Crawl With Me, was his first stab at semi-legitimacy, although it retains the darkness and pessimism one would expect from an inveterate cynic.

And, like most cynics, he's only too happy to mingle with the hoi polloi and trade recipes with the Canadian Establishment. That's why he'll force himself into a tuxedo and take his rightful place at the Junos Sunday night at O'Keefe Centre.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he gushes. "If I'm lucky, I may even get to meet (Midday co-host) Valerie Pringle. She's really perky. We're all big fans of hers."

Bergmann, meanwhile, can't help but notice that his Juno nominations have upped his desirability with the mainstream media, which have normally gone out of their way to ignore him.

"It's so weird. I was just in Winnipeg and all these people are so friendly now - radio stations that used to hang up when I called . . ."